Double-keyed violin.



A.v. WASCINSKI. DOUBLE KBYED VIOLIN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY29, 1908.

926,370, Patented .June 29, 1909.

jjfy if? v ai 4 ...j will@ 1H: .wams PETERS cc.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

narran ALEXANDER V. WASOINSKL OF PASSAIO, NEW JERSEY.

DUB EJE-KE VLIN.

Application led July 29, 1908.

Specification of .Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Serial No. 445,882.

To all Itv/torri it muy concer/1i.'

Be it known that ALEXANDER WksoINskr, a eitizen of the Empire of @ei hun y, residing at Passaic, in the county of :Passaic and State of N ew Jersey, have invented certain new and useiul Improvements in Double- Keyed Violins, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to violins in which the strings, instead of being strained by pressing the strings by the iingers on the iinger-board, are strained by means of keys while the bow is moved over the strings, the improvement being intended for providing double keys, that it to say, keys for the hali' tones, so as to increase thereby the range et tunes that can be played on the keyed violin;

and for this purpose the invention consists in a double-keyed violin or violin-piano, constructed in the manner to be hereinafter described and claimed.

in the accompanying drawing, Figure l represents a plan-view of my improved double-keyed violin or violin-piano, Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical longitudinal sections respectively on lines 2, 2 and 3, 3, Fig. l, showing the strings arranged to be strained by a single key and by a double key, Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on line d, d, Fig. 3 and Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views, respectively of the main and auxiliary keys.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the i body of my double-keyed violin or violinpiano. The body a may be made in any suitable manner, preferably in the form oi a lyre, as shown in Fig. l. T he instrument is placed like a Zither on a table or other support, and is arranged with a keyboard at the end next to the player. The keyboard is composed of keys k and is supported on the front-end of the body, the sounding-board t being supported on the end-b ars of the frame. Strings t', preferably of equal length but of different thickness, are strained over the body of the violin-piano and provided with tuning-pins t1 on the strainmg-bar at the rear-end of the body a, then passed over two straining-pins t2 arranged in the slotted bodies of the keys k and over glass tube g to the hitch-pins t3, which are applied to the front-bar of the body, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The strings pass over a iiXed darn perd, which is supported on end-posts di en the body, said damper being provided with a layer of felt or other damping material j," on which the strings rest when the keys are in their normal position ot' rest. The irontends ot' th keys t' when lowered are arrested by a key-rest made oi a glass tube g1, .vhich is supported on parallel adjustable bars ol a regulator arrangement e, said regulating bars being attached at their rear-ends by means of screws f1 to the front-bar of the body e and set by means of set-screws located in front of the fastening-screws higher or lower, so as to raise or lower the key-rest and decrease or increase the stroke imparted to the keys.

T he damper-bridge is provided at its ends with upright guide-lugs (Z2 for guiding the bow gx, which is moved over the strings either by the right or left hand, while the keys are operated for playing the music by the fingers of the lett or right hand, as desired.

Any number oi' strings and keys may be arranged, aecording to the size oi the instrument to be made. The strings are tuned to the diatonic scale and so arranged that music within the range oi one or more octaves can be played on the instrument. For the purpose oi producing a chromatic scale, some ot the keys are provided with auxiliary keys 7L, which are located on top of the ordinary keys r and provided with strainingpins t4 over which the string that is strained on the main key is passed, as shown in Fig. 3. In this manner when the main key is depressed the ordinary note is sounded, while when the auxiliary key is depressed an eXtra strain is imparted to the string and thereby a halt tone sounded. rlhe auxiliary keys are slitted at their rear-ends to permit the passage oi the strings, and provided with telts h1 at their rear-ends by which they rest on the main keys, while their iront-ends are clear oi the same. A pointed pin h2 at one or both ot the seats h1 serves for piercing the l main key and holding thereby the auxiliary keys in position on the main keys in connection with the strainingaction oi the keys. By the arrangement of the auxiliary keys the range of music that can be played on the improved double-keyed violin or violinpiano is greatly increased and the enjoyment of the instrument enhanced.

The improved double-keyed violin permits the playing oi violin pieces without acquiring the diiiicult art oi playing the violin and permits the playing of pieces written for keys, the strings being stretched over and supported on both main and auxiliary leys. 3. n zt violin-piano, the combination, With L sounding-board, and a. plurality ol' strings, of e set of slotted lzeys having pins in the slots supporting and stretching the strings intermedizitely of the length of the latter.

ln testimony, that l claim the foregoing as my invention, l have signed my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALEXIXNDEB V. WTASCINSK.

'Vitnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, HENRY J. SUHRBIER. 

